Jeethu Joseph on Mirage's failure: ‘If my assistant had directed…’
Drishyam 3's Jeethu Joseph believes that a different name as the director of Mirage would have led to a different outcome for the movie, which had a disastrous outing.
Last Updated: 07.08 PM, Nov 01, 2025
Ever since the Malayalam thriller film Drishyam was first released in 2013, Jeethu Joseph has been a name to reckon with in other industries too. But the evident fallout of this is the burden of expectations on Jeethu Joseph to deliver a gripping thriller every time he directs a film. This could have been the reason for the disappointing outcome of his latest thriller film Mirage, as per Jeethu Joseph, who believes that a different name as the director would have led to a different fate for the movie.
Jeethu Joseph on Mirage failure
Mirage is the latest Malayalam film helmed by noted filmmaker Jeethu Joseph, which stars Asif Ali in the lead role along with Aparna Balamurali. The thriller film, which had twists at every turn, failed to impress the audience and was a total washout. In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, Jeethu Joseph said that he “wholeheartedly accepts constructive criticism.”
“I also believe that if one of my assistant directors had directed Mirage instead of me, the reception might have been different. Because my name carries expectations, the film faced more scrutiny, but I enjoy those challenges,” Jeethu Joseph was quoted as saying by Pinkvilla.
Mirage’s negative reception
Mirage was released in theatres in September 2025, but was panned for its weak screenplay, which introduced way too many twists that it became a tedious watch. Aparna Balamurali played Abhirami whose fiance Kiran is believed to have died in a train accident. But soon after the tragic news, she gets to know about a crucial hard disk of Kiran that is sought by the police and some goons. An online journalist (Asif Ali) turns up to hunt for the hard disk.
But the whole film turns on its head when it is revealed that most of these people are not who they claim to be and that Asif Ali is, in fact, the villain. The Malayalam film got brutally trolled with many saying that it did not look like a thriller by Jeethu Joseph, who convincingly pulled off Drishyam 1 and 2, arguably two of the best thrillers in recent times.
FAQs
Q. What is the story of Mirage 2025?
A. The story of Mirage 2025 revolves around Abhirami, whose fiance Kiran is believed to have died, but goons and the police are after her for a crucial hard disk. As she, along with journalist Aswin, tries to find answers, they are pulled into a deeper mystery.
Q. What platform is Mirage on Ott?
A. Mirage is on the OTT platform SonyLiv. You can also watch Jeethu Joseph’s film on OTTplay Premium.
Q. Is Drishyam 3 confirmed?
A. Yes, Drishyam 3 is confirmed. Jeethu Joseph and actor Mohanlal have already begun shooting for the third part of the Drishyam film series.